"We should consider that we can easily preach a false gospel and mislead others without knowing it."
Friends, let's not fool ourselves into thinking that stumbling is unlikely to happen just because we are at a good church where the Gospel is preached or because we have been educated at a Christ-centered seminary or because we have the protection of godly brothers and sisters around. Wisdom and strength is not your protection from apostasy. If it were not for the grace of God on our lives, we would surely stumble.
You may respond, "I may stumble for a short period but a true believer would not stumble for long."
I ask you to consider the lives of a few kings who started well and worshipped God but took a drastic turn and did not recover before God graciously ended their lives to take them up to Himself - Uzziah (2Chr 26), Solomon and Jehoshaphat (2Chr 20).
Complacency can easily enter into our thinking. Be vigilant and watchful not merely of the battles outside the camp but especially those within ourselves. Why else would Paul exhort Timothy to take heed of himself and his doctrine? (1Tim 4:16) Was it not because Paul himself knew the danger of complacency? Paul understood that it is only the grace of God that keeps us on the narrow path while being one stumbling step away from idolatry and apostasy.
2 comments:
One step from idolatry is what we all are. We all have deep needs for two things, One is LOVE, the other is the need to worship or otherwise known as (when perverted) idolatry. To hear the mere statement "I may stumble for a short period of time but true believer would not stumble for long" seems to be the complacent neglect of ones responsibility to examine ourselves to see where we are in the faith(the faith that christ has authored and finished)
2 cor 13:5. The deep loathsome task of knowing sin is the task of the believer but not as some may think. The task is set as such, sin is the topic of the study or examination but YOU are the subject! Our call is to know our own selves so well that we are aware of the first glance, thought, trigger or smell that stimulates or natural nature for the purpose of warring against the flesh and that of standing firm in a holy faith for the glory of the Lord GOD who died so that we would be victorious over sin and death. They are no longer able to imprison us , but fail to keep scripture and prayer and meditation near and dear by deep self examination or confrontation, it (sin) will entangle you. we want not to hear on that last day "depart from me you worker of iniquity, I NEVER KNEW YOU !!!!!
Tony,
I hear ya! Sadly, the call and warning to examine oneself to see if we are in the faith is rarely heard from most pulpits out there today. Too many pastors coddle the conscience rather than cry out in concern for their souls.
Oh! Let's pray that God would be merciful to send preachers who teach the truth as it is in Christ - that we are utterly full of sin and trapped in our flesh and daily need His grace even today. We need preachers that teach the righteousness of our Lord and not the good works of man for it is the proclamation of Christ alone that brings life to dead bones.
Post a Comment